Iowa impeachment coda

By Ben Smith

04/22/11 02:16 PM EDT

The successful campaigns to impeach three Iowa Supreme Court justices over gay marriage succeeded in November, but the remaining four are safe from a renewed attempt by the legislature for now thanks to a procedural move by the Republican House speaker:

Iowa House Speaker Kraig Paulsen today quashed an effort by Republican House members to impeach four justices of the Iowa Supreme Court.

“While I agree with much of the reasoning behind the impeachment resolutions, I disagree with this remedy,” Paulsen (R-Hiawatha) said in a statement. “I do not expect it to be debated on the floor of the House, and if it is, I will vote no.”

He added, “House Republicans remain focused on reducing government spending and lowering taxes for Iowa families and small businesses.”

Paulsen, a lawyer, said the resolutions won’t be debated because they have been sent to the House Judiciary Committee, which is not scheduled to meet the rest of the 2011 legislative session.

The incident highlights the continuing rift between the Iowa Republican establishment and the Vander Plaats wing, which is spoiling for a fight on social issues.